Having just celebrated Christmas, it’s pretty easy for Christians like us to rejoice at the birth of our Savior, the Son of God who took on our human flesh. That little baby in the manger, we proclaimed on Christmas Eve, is Christ the Lord!

Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

Come ye, oh, come ye, to Bethlehem!

Come and adore him, born the king of angels.

Oh, come let us adore him, oh, come, let us adore him,

Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

For the residents of Bethlehem back then, that little baby was an unknown. Just another kid, no one special. They didn’t notice anything godly about Jesus. Maybe a few smelly shepherds came to see him, and some weird magi stopped by; but the people of the town didn’t know who Jesus was.

Do you have a really good answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” Who is he, to you? Who is Jesus, when it comes to your salvation? Who is Jesus, when it comes to the decisions you make in your everyday life? Who is Jesus, when it comes to standing before God on judgment day? Who is Jesus, when it comes to the way you’ll act in front of your friends this week, and the way you’ll spend your money?

I think that every one of us – myself included – needs to keep getting to know Jesus, and who he truly is, better and better. Here’s a great opportunity for the members and friends of our congregation to do exactly that.  From January 15-February 19, we are going to embark on a congregational study of the early chapters of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Together we can learn more about how St. Matthew, one of the most unusual saints in the Bible, came to know Jesus, and how he came to portray him in his famous Gospel. In our sermons and adult education classes (Sundays and Wednesdays), and using home study materials that will be available, you’ll have the opportunity to get to know Jesus in some new ways.

We’re calling this congregational study “St. Matthew Presents The Christ.” Read more about it in this newsletter, on our website, and in the worship bulletins in the weeks ahead.

Who is Jesus … to you?

Pastor Wayne Puls